Sustainability

Our longstanding commitment to environmental stewardship is reflected in many of our initiatives. We were one of the first companies to treat and recycle wastewater from plating operations. We recycle more than 50 million pounds of scrap metal and more than 250,000 gallons of oil every year.

By 2012, we plan to reduce the exhaust emissions produced by our engines by at least another 35 percent. As the world’s largest producer of small four-cycle engines, this is no small task.

"Our environmental stewardship drives what we do each and every day…”

Briggs & Stratton believes in the power of self-reliance, and in the responsibility each of us has to care for our planet. We promote the can-do spirit in our employees and customers. We believe our environmental stewardship is not only about engine emissions, but also includes our day to day business practices by our employees, our manufacturing processes and creating value for our shareholders and stakeholders. Along with the millions of people who use our products, we are dedicated to practices that will ensure a better environment.

As a global company, we are extremely aware of the impact of our operations and our products on the communities in which we do business and on society in general. Our environmental stewardship drives what we do each and every day and is at the very heart of our vision and values.

Here are a few ways we help sustain a better environment:

Reduced hazardous waste by more than 90%

Pollution prevention programs in our manufacturing processes have resulted in a 90% decrease in toxic emissions into air, land and sea.

Saved 5.4 million kilowatt hours of electricity in facility lighting retrofits by Briggs & Stratton's Energy Conservation Teams. In comparison, 556 average homes in the U.S. generate the same amount of CO2 emissions in electricity alone!

Established energy boards at our facilities to continually look for ways to reduce overall consumption.

Eliminated almost 75% of smog forming emissions in our engines since 1995.

Reduced evaporative emissions in our engines by over 73%.

Recycle computers and electronic devices. Between 2006-2010, we recycled over 50,000 lbs of these items.

We also develop products for consumers to help reduce environmental impact which include:

Smart Fill® Gas Can only spill-proof can on the market, prevents over-filling, spills and evaporation of gas.

Fresh Start® Gas Cap keeps gas fresh so it doesn't have to be discarded.

We continue to devote a significant number of our engineering and product development resources to research, testing and product implementation. We believe in the opportunity to make a difference in the world and believe with this opportunity comes responsibility. We embrace this responsibility and strive to be a leader in our efforts to sustain and improve our environment for generations to come.

Life Cycle Assessment

Briggs & Stratton is using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to better understand the environmental impacts of our products so that we can execute improvements that benefit our customers, consumers, and shareholders